A Kind Heart's Curse
by Whispatchet
Summary: An Ancient Curse plauges the Tallest, and in the light of these new events, Red and Purple both start to change. [Chapter 3 up] This fic has slash in it, but I'm new to writing slash, so if it sucks I'm sorry. R&R!
1. Secret Pain

- Chapter 1

The Massive was a hive of celebration. It was Tallest Purple's birthday, and all of Irk was in birthday frenzy.

Purple stood with Red on an elevated platform, surrounded by thousands upon thousands of their Irken followers.

"Happy Birthday Purple!" Red yelled. The crowd burst into screaming applause.

Purple was smiling, but his eyes were sad.

"Yeah… Thanks Red…"

Purple waved out to the celebrating Irken people, before disappearing from sight as fast as he could.

- - -

An hour or so later, Red wandered through the halls of the Massive alone. He rarely did this, but now he had no choice. Purple had disappeared from the celebration… and no one had seen him.

He hoped that Purple had just gone to be alone for a while, but his heart told him that this was not the case. He began to worry.

- - -

Purple sat in a dark corner, deep within the dark side passageways of Irk. Tears were streaming down his face, causing blisters to swell up on his cheeks.

"I don't want this… I don't…" He whimpered. His body was shaking, and starting to change shape.

Suddenly, voices started coming from the entrance to the alleyway. Purple's head snapped up, his eyes growing dull, and his body shaking violently.

There were two of them.

They shined a light on Purple's trembling frame.

"My Tallest?" One of them whispered in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

Purple didn't reply.

"My Tallest?"

There was a loud screech, followed by the screams of the two Irken.

A winged creature flew off into the dark sky.

- - -

Red sighed as he walked down a hallway on the Massive three weeks later. There had still been no sign of Purple…

There was no one else in the hall and it was silent. Except for…

Suddenly, Red heard labored breathing coming from one of the side halls.

Cautiously, he looked around the corner… and he gasped.

Purple was sprawled out on the floor, his clothes in tatters, covered in dirt, and soaked in blood, that was coming from the dead Irken that lay a short way away.

Red slowly crept forward, and knelt down next to purple. He gently stroked Purple's cheek. It was covered in blisters.

"He… he's been crying…" Red whispered.

Purple's eyes were tightly shut, but Red could tell he was alive, from the harsh breathing that he was doing.

Red reached down and picked Purple up, and carried him to the medical bay.

He gently lay him down on one of the beds as two Irken doctors entered from a door at the back of the room.

"T-tallest! What are…?" The doctor paused as he spotted Purple on the bed. "Oh my…"

As one doctor began evaluating the extensiveness of Purple's wounds, the other turned to Red.

"What happened Red?" He asked.

Red didn't seem to mind that the doctor had used his name.

"I don't know… I really don't…"

Red's eyes were on Purple's sad and blistered face.

The doctor didn't comment on the look his leader wore. He knew that Red cared for Purple very much, just as he had when the two of them would be dragging each other into the hospital on frequent occasions while they were children.

The other doctor stood up and whispered something to the one who was standing near Red.

"Oh dear…" He said.

"What is it?" Red asked, his voice desperate.

"His injuries are terrible… it's incredible that he's still alive. We'll need to put him in Intensive Care. Immediately."

"Do it."

The doctor nodded, and pressed a button on the wall by Purple's bed. The bed rose and moved along the wall to a large glass chamber at the back of the room. Red watched as Purple's injured body was gently lowered into the chamber, which contained an anti-gravity field. Three thick tubes came up from the bottom of the chamber and attached themselves to Purple's Pak.

Red put his hands up on the glass.

"What are those for?" He asked.

"Those tubes deliver nutrients and medicines. He should be fine soon."

"I hope so…"

- - -

Purple was in Intensive Care for three weeks before anything happened.

Red had been spending every waking moment at the side of the chamber, but he was forced to leave for his duties as a Tallest.

In these brief minutes when he was gone, Purple's condition took a turn for the worst.

"What's happening?" The head doctor asked one of his helpers.

"His body is rejecting the nutrients that we've been giving him! He's going into shock!"

"Damn it! We can't loose him! Red would kill us! Administer the anesthetic and stop the flow of nutrients! Do it!"

The other doctors dashed around, taking tubes of anesthetic and inserting them into the machine, and typing on a keypad to cease the flow of nutrients.

The head doctor ran to one of the monitors and looked at it fearfully. It showed Purple's heart rate, and to the doctor's horror, it was beginning to stop.

"Shit! We're losing him!! We've got to re-stimulate his heart!"

One of the doctors pressed a button on the console, and a mechanical arm lowered from the top of the console and delivered a powerful electric shock through Purple's body.

The doctor looked at the monitor again. Purple's heartbeat was still very slow, but it was stable, and not descending any further.

The doctor sighed.

"Thank the Gods…"

- - -

When Red returned to the med bay, he was immediately informed of what had happened. To the doctors' surprise, he didn't yell at them at all. He simply wandered over to the chamber and sat on the chair that had been provided for him. He sat there, looking sadly up at Purple, for hours.

- - -

It was another two weeks before Purple was deemed well enough to come out of Intensive, and to be in the regular hospital.

Red still came to see him every day, sitting beside his bed for hours, just staring at Purple's sad face.

- - -

On one day in particular, Red had been sitting next to Purple's bed since early that morning… and it was already very late at night.

One of the doctors approached the Tallest.

"Sir?" He said cautiously.

Red stood up and faced him.

"You should get some rest sir. If you let yourself deteriorate…" He was silenced by a wave of Red's hand.

"I'm not going anywhere."

Neither of them noticed Purple's eyes open slightly.

"I'm staying right…"

Red looked down as something tugged on his clothes. Purple was awake, and loosely grasping Red's clothing.

"Pur!" Red breathed, leaning down closer to his friend.

"Red… get out of here. Stop worrying about me…" Purple said quietly.

"No chance."

The doctor could tell that he was about to be asked to leave, so he turned towards the office to tell the others that Purple was awake.

"Pur, I'm not going anywhere until you get better."

"Red, please don't." Tears began to well up in Purple's eyes. "I don't want you to destroy yourself trying to get me okay…" Purple broke down into gentle sobs.

"No, Pur don't cry… Please don't cry. You'll get blisters…"

"What difference does it make Red?" The tears poured down Purple's cheeks. "It makes no difference."

"Purple, stop crying… please stop?" Red was beginning to start crying. "I don't want to lose you Pur… I don't…"

_You already have, Red…_ Purple thought.

"Go and sleep. I will see you in the morning…" Purple's voice trailed off as he fell asleep.

Red smiled weakly.

"Alright." He whispered. "I'll see you in the morning. That I promise."

He quickly checked to see if anyone was around, before leaning down and giving Purple the lightest kiss, before standing up and leaving the med bay.

- - -

Red came out of his quarters the next morning and was instantly confronted by one of the doctors.

"Sir, we have something to show you."

A worried look appeared on Red's face, and he followed the doctor without a word.

They turned a corner, and Red froze.

Purple was standing in the middle of the hallway, with two doctors on each side.

Red was shocked.

He didn't know what to do. He knew he had to do something…

Slowly, he moved forwards. When he was standing mere inches away from Purple, Red's mind went blank.

_Follow your instincts!_ His mind screamed at him.

Moving very slowly, Red raised his arms, and wrapped them around Purple's shoulders.

Purple closed his eyes as Red held him in a soft embrace.

Suddenly, Red realized what he was doing, and quickly pushed himself away.

Neither of the tallest seemed to be able to say anything.

The doctors decided that it was best for them to leave.

- - -

Purple's recovery had been kept a secret for the remainder of the day. Both of the Tallest had sat in Red's room all day, with Purple crying into Red's chest, and Red holding the crying Irken close to him.

To start with, Red had been content knowing that Purple was fully recovered, but as the day wore on, his curiosity got the better of him.

"Pur… Why do you cry? What happened to you?" He asked.

Purple's sobs became quieter.

"Pur?"

"You can't know!" Purple cried. "You just can't!"

Red gently lifted Purple's head so that his violet eyes met his crimson ones.

"Why not? What secret is so terrible?"

"This one…"

Purple pushed himself away from Red.

"Please Red, please don't ask about it any more."

Red was shocked. Normally the two of them kept nothing from each other. If this secret was causing Purple so much anguish to speak about, perhaps it was best that he didn't press the issue.

"Alright Pur. I won't."

- - - - - -

Like it? I smell conspiracy! Chapter two on the way! Baidai!!


	2. A Curse revealed

- Chapter 2

Purple's recovery was a very happy occasion. The Irken race was very happy at the return of their leader, and there were celebrations all over the place.

On the Massive however, there was minimal commotion. Purple had requested that his recovery not be made into an event.

The days rolled by as usual… Except…

Red was beginning to notice changes in Purple.

He never ate any more, which in itself was against his personality. He was a lot more secluded and isolated, he would disappear, and be found in the strangest places hours later, and he didn't seem to enjoy the belittling of 'Invader' Zim, which was entirely strange. He loved to do that!

Red just couldn't figure out why these changes had happened. He knew it was because of The Secret.

He knew, that what ever it was, it was tearing Purple apart.

- - -

Red was very worried; not only for Purple, but for himself as well.

The more he worried, the stronger a strange emotion from deep within his heart became.

He became frightened of this strange sensation…

- - -

Weeks after Purple's reappearance, he and Red were sitting high above the other Irken on the ship, watching as the planet below them received a thorough pummeling from the Massive's cannons, a procedure known as an Organic Sweep. Designed to wipe any organic life from the planet, so it is perfectly free for the Irken race to move in.

While the Sweep was in progress, Red noticed movement at his side. He turned, and saw Purple leaving the room as fast as he could go.

Dieing to know what was going on, Red stood up and followed him, having completely forgotten about the Organic Sweep.

- - -

Red followed Purple to the bathroom. Red knew that Purple wouldn't need to go, because he hadn't been eating or drinking anything. Nothing going in, nothing going out.

Slowly, he pushed the door open. The place was totally empty except for him and Purple, who was in one of the stalls.

Soft sobs were bouncing off the tiled walls.

"Pur?" Red slowly approached the occupied stall. "Purple?"

Purple's sobbing stopped abruptly, and was replaced by a low hissing.

"Pur!" Red was staring to get worried, and a little frightened.

A loud screech erupted from Purple's stall, and two gray and dark purple wings burst out of the top of the stall.

Red screamed in surprise and fell backwards, landing on the tiles.

The stall burst into tiny fragments that scattered about the room.

Standing where Purple must have been seconds before, was a tall, gray creature, whose skin had a light green tint to it.

Its dull eyes were a dark purple, and Purple's robes hung in tatters from the creature's shoulders and waist.

It was Purple… that, Red knew.

"…P…Pur?" He whispered.

The creature leant down slightly, and stared into Red's eyes.

It growled, almost lovingly, and lifted one of its clawed hands to Red's face.

Very gently, with its claw barely touching Red's skin, the creature drew a line down Red's cheek.

Red moved his own hand up, and placed it on the creature's clawed hand.

Tears were beginning to well up in Red's eyes.

Before the Irken leader knew what was happening, the creature had torn away from him, and broken through the walls of the Massive, leaving a gaping hole in the wall.

Alarms started blaring all through the ship, but Red didn't move. He stood and sadly stared out the hole in the wall, following the creature with his gaze, till he could see it no more.

- - -

Red sat on quietly on his bed that night.

He knew what was wrong with Purple now; something… something was turning him into that winged creature!

The halls of the Massive were dark. Red didn't like prowling the halls when they were this dark… at least, not when he was alone.

He was glad Purple's room wasn't far from his.

The door slid open for him, and he slipped inside.

The air in the room was cold… It gave Red a chill down his back. The room seemed unused.

There didn't seem to be any power running through the room, and it gave Red an eerie feeling.

The room was strangely bare, like Purple had stripped it when he first became the creature.

There was only two pieces of paper in the room. They were sitting on the end of Purple's bed. Red slowly moved over, like someone would hear if he moved too quickly.

He picked the two pieces of paper up and looked at them.

One was a photo of him, looking very happy, though he couldn't figure out what he was happy about… or when this was taken. The photo was smudged in some places. Red recognized the marks as teardrops. He had been crying when he was holding this.

The other piece was old and yellowing slightly.

It had writing on it, a very old text that their language had evolved from.

He knew the text fluently. Just like Purple, he was at the top of the class for history when the two of them were smeets.

Red sat himself down on the bed and read the text.

It was a letter.

_My deepest sympathies,_

_You are the keeper… the keeper to the curse of an ancient blood. I did not decide this._

_I prey you will find a cure to the curse, but the likes are very slim. Not one of the accursed has ever been freed._

_Please forgive me. I wish that it were not so, but there is nothing I can do. The evil magic of the curse has already been sent to you, and there is no way to bring it back._

_I am eternally sorry._

_Finding a cure is your only hope. I prey for you._

The signature had been smudged away by Purple's tears.

So this is what had happened to Purple. He was cursed.

Red turned the paper over.

Scribbled in the currant text, someone had hastily written a message.

_Keep him._

Red didn't know what it meant.

- - -

Red was the one who found Purple after four weeks.

He didn't seem to be hurt, so Red took Purple to his room, and lay him down on the bed.

Gently, Red stroked Purple's cheek.

Purple's eyes opened.

"I'm sorry…" He whispered.

- - - - - - - - - -

He he!! And the plot thickens!! Hope you all like this. I know I do! Lots a' evil curses and slashy crap! Chappie three coming up. BAI!!


	3. I can't Hate you

Chapter3

Red sat on the bed next to Purple.

"Pur…" He started.

"Please don't." Purple grasped Red's hand in his. "Please… Red you promised not to ask."

Red sighed.

"That was before I saw you Pur. I saw you as… as…" Red was lost for words.

"…As that beast." Purple hissed.

Red sighed and leant down close.

"What happened Purple? Why are you cursed?"

Purple's eyes widened.

"How did…?" Purple cut short as he realised what Red had done. "Red. How could you?"

"I'm sorry Pur. I shouldn't have snooped. But…" Red trailed off.

Purple sat up.

"But…?"

Red didn't have words for it.

Slowly, Red reached out, and pulled Purple close to him. He pressed his chest against Purple's, and held him tight. He could feel Purple's heart beating as he held him.

"Red…" Purple whispered. "What does this mean?"

Red didn't answer. He couldn't. There were no words for it.

Purple couldn't help but smile.

"I know…" Purple closed his eyes. "I know."

Red tried to ignore the nagging in the back of his mind, the little voice that was forever telling him to ask Purple about the curse. He really tried. But he couldn't resist his growing curiosity.

One evening, when he and Purple were sitting together on the bridge of the Massive, Red pulled his partner closer.

"Pur?"

"Yeah?"

"You need to tell me."

"Red…"

"Purple, I can't keep worrying about you this way. You must tell me what this curse is."

Purple's eyes filled with tears.

"I don't want you to hate me…"

"I can't hate you Pur… There's no way I could."

Purple sniffed, and brushed the tears off his face.

"_Become the beast, take a life, you'll live to see another night._" He whispered.

"Pur…" Red whispered.

"Till the next eternity ends, I am cursed… Cursed to take the lives of our people every few days until I die."

"There's no way to break it?"

Purple shook his head. "No one's ever found one. Everyone who has ever been cursed with this has had it till they died. And unless I do manage to break it, someone else will get it after I die. That's how it works."

"Why did it hurt you the first time?" Red asked, remembering how he had found Purple so badly injured after he disappeared the first time.

"It didn't."

"Then why…?" Red cut short. "Oh, Pur, you weren't."

Purple stared at Red for a few moments before bursting into sobs. Red pulled Purple into a gentle embrace, completely oblivious to the other Irken in the room.

"I didn't want to be cursed Red!" He said through sobs. "I didn't want to have to kill people! I didn't want it!"

A few of the Irken workers in the room started looking over.

"It's okay… it's okay…" Red whispered, gently rubbing his hand up and down Purple's back. He didn't want Purple to cry.

Purple's sobs began to soften, and soon the air in the bridge was perfectly quiet.

The quiet was broken when one of the Irken who were watching coughed.

Red snapped around, and saw most of the workers intently looking at him and Purple.

He glared at them like no one had ever seen him.

It was the most evil glare.

All who were watching spun around instantly, their eyes wide with fright. They had seen something they shouldn't have.

Despite the best efforts of both the Tallest, the news of their relationship spread fast. It wasn't long before even Zim knew!

So they had an intimate relationship. Most people didn't care.

Those who did didn't say it. They were afraid of Red's wrath, which most people knew was horrendous.

One thing that the Irken population didn't know was the curse that still hung over Purple.

Both of the Tallest were relieved about that.

But the trouble wasn't over yet.

* * *

Heh heh heh. Liking the evil? I like it. Sorry this chappie was shorter than the others, but I'm saving what happens next for chappie 4. So until then, Ja Ne! 


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